Tree-Maiming to Crop Destruction: Considering a Re-Emerging Repertoire

Abstract

Property destruction has been a key part of the protest repertoire in Western Europe (and further afield) throughout history. Such acts have represented the physical manifestation of opposition to perceived inequalities in society, ranging from actions of groups such as the Luddites through to spontaneous food riots. Although these actions can be portrayed as unthinking and solely focused on destruction, it is important to consider underlying claim being made through the action. This paper draws on a catalogue of protest events to consider the wave of crop trashing that took place in the UK in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The aim is to locate these actions in the broader tradition of destruction targeting flora to determine the extent to which these actions can be seen as representing a traditional form of action and consider the degree of continuity in the underlying motives.